Electronic device including flexible display

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a flexible display, a first housing moving to correspond to change in a shape of the flexible display and including a contact region, a second housing sliding in a direction opposite to a direction in which the first housing moves of the first housing and to mount the flexible display, a rotary contact structure making contact with the contact region, and a printed circuit board (PCB) electrically connected with the at least one rotary contact structure. The at least one rotary contact structure includes a rotating part maintaining contact with the contact region while rotating in a process of changing a shape of the flexible display, a central part disposed inside the rotating part, a conductive member interposed between the rotating part and the central part, and a support part supporting the central part and electrically connecting the central part with the PCB.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation application of prior application Ser.No. 17/365,583, filed on Jul. 1, 2021, which application is based on andclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of a Korean patent applicationnumber 10-2020-0142197, filed on Oct. 29, 2020, in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The disclosure relates to an electronic device including a flexibledisplay.

2. Description of Related Art

An electronic device including a flexible display has been introduced ordeveloped. The electronic device may have the form (a foldableelectronic device) in which a housing is folded around a hinge or theform (a rollable electronic device) in which the flexible display isunfolded or received inside the housing while being bent.

The rollable electronic device may be used in the form of a tabletpersonal computer (PC) through an expanded display when the display isunfolded. The rollable electronic device may be used in the form of atypical smartphone and may have an enhanced portability, when thedisplay is received inside while being bent.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination hasbeen made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

SUMMARY

When at least a portion of the housing and a flexible display are moved,the electronic device may use a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), ac-clip, or a pogo pin such that the at least the portion of the housingmaintains the contact with a surrounding component. In this case, thecontact structure may be deformed due to friction, or the FPCB, thec-clip, or the pogo may not be applied to the rollable electronic devicedue to spatial constrains.

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentionedproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to providean electronic device including a rotary contact structure in which atleast a portion of the electronic device including a flexible displaymaintains contact with a sliding housing to correspond to a slide-inoperation or a slide-out operation.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the presented embodiments.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device isprovided. The electronic device includes a flexible display, a firsthousing moving corresponding to change in a shape of the flexibledisplay and including a contact region, a second housing sliding in adirection opposite to a direction in which the first housing moves ofthe first housing and to mount the flexible display, a rotary contactstructure making contact with the contact region, and a printed circuitboard (PCB) electrically connected with the at least one rotary contactstructure. The at least one rotary contact structure may include arotating part maintaining contact with the contact region while rotatingin a process of changing a shape of the flexible display, a central partdisposed inside the rotating part, a conductive member interposedbetween the rotating part and the central part, and a support partsupporting the central part and electrically connecting the central partwith the PCB.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device, according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device,according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a contact between a contact pattern of a firsthousing and a rotary contact structure, according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary contact structure,according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a rotary contact structure, according toan embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of a rotary contact structure insidean electronic device, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a slide-out operation for a flexible display,according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a slide-in operation for a flexible display,according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates arrangement of a plurality of contact regions,according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates a rotary contact structure having a curved contactsurface, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates various types of conductive members, according to anembodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 12 illustrates that a conductive ball and a non-conductive ball aremixed and arranged, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 13A illustrates a rotary contact structure having a fixed-typesupport structure, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 13B is a view illustrating a shape of a rotary contact structurewhen the rotary contact structure of FIG. 13A is viewed in a direction“P”; according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an electronic device under a networkenvironment according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood torefer to like parts, components, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of thedisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of thedisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device, according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device 101 may include a firsthousing 110, a second housing 120, and a flexible display 130.

The first housing 110 may function as a stationary cover to which oneside of the flexible display 130 is fixed. When the flexible display 130is unfolded, the first housing 110 may be in a stationary status or maymove in an opposite to a direction in which the flexible display 130 isunfolded.

The second housing 120 may function as a movable cover to which anotherside of the flexible display 130 is fixed. When the flexible display 130is unfolded, the second housing 120 may move in a direction the same asthe direction in which the flexible display 130 moves.

The flexible display 130 may be received in the first housing 110 whilebeing at least partially bent. When the flexible display 130 isreceived, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may bedisposed to overlap with each other, and the minimum area of theflexible display 130 may be exposed to the outside. In this case, theelectronic device 101 may be used in the form of a bar-type smartphone.

When the flexible display 130 is unfolded to the maximum extent(hereinafter, a fully unfolded status), the movement of the secondhousing 120 is complemented in a direction in which the flexible display130 is expanded. In the fully unfolded status, the overlap part betweenthe first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may be minimized. Inthe fully unfolded status, a display region of the flexible display 130may be exposed to the maximum extent, and the electronic device 101 maybe used in the form of a tablet PC.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, the flexible display 130 may be usedwhile being partially unfolded (hereinafter, a partially unfoldedstatus). In the partially unfolded status, the display region of theflexible display 130 may be larger than a display region of the flexibledisplay 130 which is received (hereinafter, a received status), and maybe smaller than a display region of the flexible display 130 in thefully unfolded status.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device,according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device 101 may include the firsthousing 110, the second housing 120, an inner housing 125, the flexibledisplay 130, a display support part 140, a first rail 141, a second rail142, a roller 145, a printed circuit board 170, a rotary contactstructure 180, a battery 195, and a back cover 198.

The first housing 110 may function as a stationary cover to which oneside of the flexible display 130 is fixed. The first housing 110 maycover a rear surface of the electronic device 101 and remaining sidesurfaces of the flexible display 130, other than an expanded sidesurface of the flexible display 130. The first housing 110 may fix thefirst rail 141 and the second rail 142 to move the flexible display 130.

The first housing 110 may include a contact region (or a contactpattern) formed on an inner surface thereof and electrically connectedwith the rotary contact structure 180 (see FIG. 3 or 9). According to anembodiment, when the electronic device 101 is in the fully unfoldedstatus, the partially unfolded status, or the received status, thecontact region of the first housing 110 may maintain the contact withthe rotary contact structure 180 (see FIG. 3).

According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the first housing 110may include a conductive material, and may be used as an antennaradiator. A signal transmitted or received through the first housing 110may be transmitted to a wireless communication circuit inside theelectronic device 101 through the rotary contact structure 180.

The second housing 120 may function as a movable cover to which anotherside of the flexible display 130 is fixed. When the flexible display 130is unfolded, the second housing 120 may move in the direction the sameas the direction in which the flexible display 130 moves. The secondhousing 120 may be coupled to the inner housing 125.

The inner housing (or a front cover, a bracket, a third housing) 125 maysupport the flexible display 130. When the flexible display 130 isunfolded or received, the inner housing 125 may move in the directionthe same as the direction in which the flexible display 130 moves. Thedisplay support part 140, the printed circuit board (PCB) 170, andvarious components (e.g., a camera module or a sensor module) may bepositioned on the inner housing 125.

The flexible display (or the rollable display) 130 may display contentsuch as a text or an image. In the received status, the flexible display130 may be received in the electronic device 101 while being bent orwound. In this case, the display region, which displays the content, ofthe flexible display 130, may be smaller than the display region of theflexible display 130 withdrawn and expanded from the electronic device101. The display region, which displays the content, of the expandedflexible display 130, may be larger than the display region of theflexible display 130 received in the electronic device 101.

The display support part (e.g., the multi-bar) 140 may be in a structurein which a plurality of bars are arranged at regular distances inparallel to each other. The display support part 140 may be interposedbetween the flexible display 130 and the inner housing 125. The displaysupport part 140 may be coupled to each of the flexible display 130 andthe inner housing 125 through separate adhesive members.

The display support part 140 may include a rack gear provided at an endportion thereof and coupled to the first rail 141 or the second rail 142to operate. The display support part 140 is maintained in a specifiedcurve shape in a region in which the flexible display 130 is bent,thereby preventing the flexible display 130 from being broken.

The first rail 141 and the second rail 142 may guide the movement of thedisplay support part 140. The first rail 141 may be coupled to a firstportion (upper portion) of the first housing 110, and the second rail142 may be coupled to a second portion (lower portion) of the firsthousing 110. The first rail 141 and the second rail 142 may function asbases to be assembled to the rack gear of the display support part 140.

The roller 145 may reduce the friction with the display support part 140and may support bars constituting the display support part 140.

The printed circuit board 170 may have various electronic parts mountedon the printed circuit board 170 and necessary for driving theelectronic device 101. For example, the printed circuit board 170 mayhave various electronic components, such as a processor, a memory, and acommunication circuit mounted, which are mounted on the printed circuitboard 170.

According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 170 may have therotary contact structure 180 mounted on the printed circuit board 170.In the received status, the partially unfolded status or the fullyunfolded status, the printed circuit board 170 may maintain theelectrical connection with the contact region of the first housing 110through the rotary contact structure 180.

The rotary contact structure 180 may electrically connect the printedcircuit board 170 with the contact region of the first housing 110. Whenthe flexible display 130 is unfolded or received, the rotary contactstructure 180 may maintain the contact status with the contact region ofthe first housing 110 while rotating (see FIG. 3).

The battery 195 may supply power necessary for the operation of theelectronic device 101. The battery 195 may be received in the firsthousing 110 and may be electrically connected with the printed circuitboard 170.

The back cover 198 may cover a hole formed in the second housing 120.The hole may be formed to assemble the electronic device 101.

FIG. 3 illustrates the contact between a contact region of a firsthousing and a rotary contact structure, according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the rotary contact structure 180 may electricallyconnect a contact region (or the contact pattern) 115 of the firsthousing (or the sliding housing) 110 with the printed circuit board 170.The rotary contact structure 180 may be fixed to and electricallyconnected with the printed circuit board 170.

The first housing 110 may include the contact region 115. The contactregion 115 may contact the rotary contact structure 180. The contactregion 115 may be in the form of a rod extending in the direction inwhich the first housing 100 moves (e.g., a first direction “A” or asecond direction “B”) of the first housing. According to an embodiment,the contact region 115 may be a contact point (e.g., a feeding point ora grounding point) allowing at least a portion of the first housing 110to serve as an antenna radiator.

According to various embodiments, the contact region 115 may have anelastic structure. In this case, the contact region 115 may easily makecontact with the rotary contact structure 180 due to the elastic forceof the contact region 115. For example, the contact region 115 may be aspring structure protruding toward the rotary contact structure 180.

According to various embodiments, when the first housing 110 linearlymoves in the first direction “A” or the second direction “B”, the rotarycontact structure 180 may maintain the contact with the contact region115 while rotating counterclockwise or clockwise. For example, the firstdirection “A” may be a direction in which the flexible display 130 isunfolded, and the second direction “B” may be a direction in which theflexible display 130 is received.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary contact structure,according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a rotary contact structure taken alongline I-I′ of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotary contact structure 180 may includea rotating part (or outer ring) 410, a conductive member (or aconductive bearing, a conductive circular structure, or a conductiveball) 420, a central part (or an inner ring) 430, and a support part (ora support shaft) 440.

The rotating part (or the outer ring) 410 may rotate while makingcontact with the contact region 115. The contact region 115 may linearlymove to correspond to change in the shape (the received status, thepartially unfolded status, or the fully unfolded status) of theelectronic device 101, and the rotating part 410 may maintain contactwith the contact region 115 through the rotation movement.

According to an embodiment, the rotating part 410 may include a firstguide 411 which is formed on an inner surface of the rotating part 410to provide a path allowing the conductive member 420 to move or rotate.

The conductive member 420 may be interposed between the rotating part410 and the central part 430. The conductive member 420 may reducefriction, which may occur due to rotation of the rotating part 410, bymovement or rotation. The conductive member 420 may be at leastpartially realized with a conductive material, and may electricallyconnect the rotating part 410 with the central part 430.

According to an embodiment, the conductive member 420 may be realizedwith one material. For example, the conductive member 420 may include aplurality of metal balls (see FIG. 11).

According to another embodiment, the conductive member 420 may berealized with a plurality of materials. For example, the conductivemember 420 may be in the form in which a metal ball having a conductiveproperty and a ceramic ball are alternately arranged (see FIG. 12).Accordingly, the durability (abrasion resistance) of the conductivemember 420 may be enhanced.

The central part (or inner ring) 430 may be disposed inside the rotatingpart 410. The central part 430 may be realized with a conductivematerial, and may be a contact part having a diameter smaller than adiameter of the rotating part 410. The central part 430 may beelectrically connected with the rotating part 410 through the conductivemember 420. When the rotating part 410 or the conductive member 420rotates, the central part 430 may be in a stationary status withoutrotating.

According to an embodiment, the central part 430 may include a secondguide 431 which is formed on an outer surface of the central part 430 toprovide a path for allowing the conductive member 420 to move or rotate.

According to an embodiment, the central part 430 may include a hole (oran opening part) 435 to couple the central part 430 to the support part440. Although FIG. 4 illustrates the shape of the hole 435, thedisclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the central part 430 mayinclude a groove formed in a surface facing the support part 440.

A first end 441 of the support part 440 may be inserted into and fixedto the hole 435 of the central part 430. A second end 442 of the supportpart 440 may be coupled to and fixed to the printed circuit board 170.The support part 440 may be realized with a conductive material. Thesupport part 440 may be an elastic structure formed in an axialdirection perpendicular to the rotating part 410. The support part 440may be realized in a form having elasticity or with a material havingelasticity. For example, the support part 440 may be bent similarly to aspring to have elastic force.

According to an embodiment, when external force is not applied, thesupport part 440 may allow the rotating part 410 or the central part 430to maintain the contact with the contact region 115 at a specified angle(e.g., about 90 degrees).

According to an embodiment, when external force is applied to theelectronic device 101 to change the structure of the electronic device101 (depending on the received status, the partially unfolded status, orthe fully unfolded status), the shape or the compression degree of thesupport part 440 may be varied.

The printed circuit board 170 may fix the second end 442 of the supportpart 440 to the printed circuit board 170 and may be electricallyconnected with the support part 440. The printed circuit board 170 maybe electrically connected with the contact region 115 through therotating part 410, the conductive member 420, the central part 430, andthe support part 440.

FIG. 6 illustrates the configuration of a rotary contact structureinside an electronic device, according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the inner housing 125 may fix the printed circuitboard 170 and various components (e.g., a camera module 199 or thesensor module). The printed circuit board 170 may have the rotarycontact structure 180 mounted at a region (or at an end portion adjacentto the first housing 110) thereof adjacent to the first housing 110. Theprinted circuit board 170 may receive power from the battery 195.

The first housing 110 may include the contact region (or the contactpattern) 115. The contact region 115 may linearly move to correspond tothe change in the structure of the electronic device 101 (depending onthe received status, the partially unfolded status, or the fullyunfolded status). The rotary contact structure 180 may maintain thecontact with the contact region 115 while rotating to correspond to alinear movement distance of the contact region 115 (or the first housing110).

FIG. 7 illustrates a slide-out operation for a flexible display,according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, when external force is applied to the flexibledisplay 130 such that the flexible display 130 is withdrawn, the displayregion of the flexible display 130 is unfolded while being expanded, asthe flexible display 130 is gradually withdrawn (slid) out of the firsthousing 110 (a slide-out operation). When the flexible display 130undergoes the slide-out operation, the first housing (or the slidinghousing) 110 may gradually move in the first direction “A” which isopposite to the direction in which the flexible display 130 is unfolded(or the first housing 110 does not move, and the inner housing 125, theprinted circuit board 170, and the rotary contact structure 180 move inthe direction opposite to the first direction “A”).

The rotary contact structure 180 may be in the contact with a firstpoint 115 a of the contact region 115, in the state that the flexibledisplay 130 is received in the first housing 110 before the flexibledisplay 130 undergoes the slide-out operation at operation 710. When thesecond housing 120 and the flexible display 130 of the electronic device101 undergo the slide-out operation, the rotary contact structure 180may rotate counterclockwise to correspond to the linear movement of thecontact region 115 in the first direction “A”.

The rotary contact structure 180 may maintain the contact with one pointbetween the first point 115 a of the contact region 115 and a secondpoint 115 b of the contact region 115, in the state that the flexibledisplay 130 partially undergoes the slide-out operation, that is, theflexible display 130 is partially unfolded at operation 720. When theslide-out operation is maintained, the rotary contact structure 180 maycontinuously rotate counterclockwise.

When the slide-out operation for the flexible display 130 is terminated,so the flexible display 130 is fully unfolded at operation 730, therotary contact structure 180 may maintain the contact with the secondpoint 115 b of the contact region 115.

FIG. 8 illustrates a slide-in operation for a flexible display,according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, when external force is applied to the flexibledisplay 130 such that the flexible display 130 is introduced, thedisplay region of the flexible display 130 may be reduced, as theflexible display 130 is gradually received (slid) into the first housing110 (a slide-in operation). When the flexible display 130 undergoes theslide-in operation, the first housing (or the sliding housing) 110 maygradually move in the second direction “B” which is opposite to thedirection in which the flexible display 130 is received (or the firsthousing 110 does not move, and the inner housing 125, the printedcircuit board 170, and the rotary contact structure 180 move in theopposite direction to the second direction “B”).

The rotary contact structure 180 may be in the contact with the secondpoint 115 b of the contact region 115, in the state that the flexibledisplay 130 is fully unfolded at operation 730. When the flexibledisplay 130 undergoes the slide-in operation, the rotary contactstructure 180 may rotate clockwise to correspond to the linear movementof the contact region 115 in the second direction “B”.

The rotary contact structure 180 may maintain the contact with one pointbetween the first point 115 a of the contact region 115 and the secondpoint 115 b of the contact region 115, in the state that the flexibledisplay 130 partially undergoes the slide-in operation, that is, theflexible display 130 is partially unfolded at operation 720. When theslide-in operation is maintained, the rotary contact structure 180 maycontinuously rotate clockwise.

When the slide-in operation for the flexible display 130 is terminated,so the flexible display 130 is received at operation 710, the rotarycontact structure 180 may be in the contact with the first point 115 aof the contact region 115.

FIG. 9 illustrates arrangement of a plurality of contact regions,according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Although FIG. 9illustrates that two contact regions are disposed on the inner surfaceof a first housing 911, 912, or 913, the disclosure is not limitedthereto.

Referring to FIG. 9, a first rollable electronic device 901 may includea sliding housing (first housing) 911, a first rotary contact structure981-1, a second rotary contact structure 981-2, and a printed circuitboard 971. The first rollable electronic device 901 may be realizedidentically to or similarly to the electronic device 101.

The sliding housing 911 may include a first contact region 911 a and asecond contact region 911 b. The first contact region 911 a may makecontact with the first rotary contact structure 981-1. The secondcontact region 911 b may make contact with the second rotary contactstructure 981-2.

According to an embodiment, the first contact region 911 a and thesecond contact region 911 b may have different lengths. For example, thefirst contact region 911 a may have a first length “L1” and the secondcontact region 911 b may have a second length “L2” shorter than thefirst length “L1”.

According to various embodiments, time for which the first contactregion 911 a makes contact with the first rotary contact structure 981-1may differ from time for which the second contact region 911 b makescontact with the second rotary contact structure 981-2, depending on thechange in the shape of the first rollable electronic device 901(depending on the received status, the partially unfolded status, or thefully unfolded status).

The first contact region 911 a may continuously make contact with thefirst rotary contact structure 981-1, depending on the change in thestructure of the first rollable electronic device 901 (depending on thereceived status, the partially unfolded status, or the fully unfoldedstatus). For example, when the first rotary contact structure 981-1makes communication in a first frequency band, the first rollableelectronic device 901 may continuously transmit or receive a signal ofthe first frequency band regardless the received status of the flexibledisplay 130.

When the first rollable electronic device 901 is in the received statusor the partially unfolded status, the second contact region 911 b maymaintain contact with the second rotary contact structure 981-2. Whenthe first rollable electronic device 901 is in the fully unfoldedstatus, the second contact region 911 b may not maintain contact withthe second rotary contact structure 981-2. For example, when the secondrotary contact structure 981-2 makes communication in a second frequencyband or a third frequency band, the first rollable electronic device 901may transmit or receive a signal of the second frequency band throughthe second rotary contact structure 981-2 in the received status or thepartially unfolded status, and may transmit or receive a signal in thethird frequency band in the fully unfolded status.

Although FIG. 9 illustrates that the first rotary contact structure981-1 and the second rotary contact structure 981-2 have differentconduction statuses in the respective contact regions depending on thestatus of the electronic device resulting from the movement of thesliding housing 911, the first rotary contact structure 981-1 and thesecond rotary contact structure 981-2 may be disposed to rotate in thesame direction.

According to various embodiments, a second rollable electronic device902 may include a sliding housing 912, a rotary contact structure 982,and a printed circuit board 972. The second rollable electronic device902 may be realized identically to or similarly to the electronic device101.

The sliding housing 912 may include a first contact region 912 a and asecond contact region 912 b. The rotary contact structure 982 mayinclude a first rotating part 982-1, an insulating part 982 a, and asecond rotating part 982-2. The first contact region 912 a may makecontact with the first rotating part 982-1. The second contact region912 b may make contact with the second rotating part 982-2.

According to an embodiment, the insulating part 982 a may be positionedbetween the first rotating part 982-1 and the second rotating part982-2. The first rotating part 982-1 and the second rotating part 982-2may independently make contact with the first contact region 912 a andthe second contact region 912 b, respectively, while moving, due to theinsulating part 982 a.

According to an embodiment, the first contact region 912 a and thesecond contact region 912 b may have equal lengths. The first contactregion 912 a and the second contact region 912 b may transmit andreceive signals for performing different functions. For example, thefirst contact region 912 a and the first rotating part 982-1 transmitand receive a signal of the first frequency band, and the second contactregion 912 b and the second rotating part 982-2 may transmit and receivea signal of the second frequency band.

According to various embodiments, the first contact region 912 a maycontinuously maintain the contact with the first rotating part 982-1,and the second contact region 912 b may continuously maintain thecontact with the second rotating part 982-2, depending on the change inthe structure of the second rollable electronic device 902 (depending onthe received status, the partially unfolded status, or the fullyunfolded status).

According to various embodiments, a third rollable electronic device 903may include a sliding housing 913, a rotary contact structure 983, and aprinted circuit board 973. The third rollable electronic device 903 maybe realized identically to or similarly to the electronic device 101.

The sliding housing 913 may include a first contact region 913 a and asecond contact region 913 b. The rotary contact structure 983 mayinclude a first rotating part 983-1, an insulating part 983 a, and asecond rotating part 983-2. The first contact region 913 a may makecontact with the first rotating part 983-1. The second contact region913 b may make contact with the second rotating part 983-2.

According to an embodiment, the insulating part 983 a may be interposedbetween the first rotating part 983-1 and the second rotating part983-2. The first rotating part 983-1 and the second rotating part 983-2may independently make contact with the first contact region 913 a andthe second contact region 913 b, respectively, while moving, due to theinsulating part 983 a.

According to an embodiment, the first contact region 913 a and thesecond contact region 913 b may have different lengths. For example, thefirst contact region 913 a may have a first length “L3” and the secondcontact region 913 b may have a second length “L4” shorter than thefirst length “L3”.

The first contact region 913 a and the second contact region 913 b maytransmit and receive signals for performing different functions. Forexample, the first contact region 913 a and the first rotating part983-1 transmit and receive a signal associated with the operation of theantenna, and the second contact region 913 b and the second rotatingpart 983-2 may transmit and receive a signal associated with theoperation of a display. For example, the first contact region 913 a andthe first rotating part 983-1 make communication in the first frequencyband, and the second contact region 913 b and the second rotating part983-2 may make communication in the second frequency band.

According to various embodiments, the first contact region 913 a maycontinuously maintain the contact with the first rotating part 983-1,and the second contact region 913 b may maintain the contact with thesecond rotating part 983-2 for a specific time and may not maintain thecontact with the second rotating part 983-2 for another specific time,depending on the change in the structure of the third rollableelectronic device 903 (depending on the received status, the partiallyunfolded status, or the fully unfolded status).

FIG. 10 illustrates a rotary contact structure having a curved contactsurface, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10, a rotary contact structure 1080 may electricallyconnect a printed circuit board 1070 with a contact region 1010 of asliding housing. The rotary contact structure 1080 may have a curvedcontact surface. Accordingly, the rotary contact structure 1080 maystably maintain the contact status with the contact region 1010 tocorrespond to the change in the structure of an electronic device (tocorrespond to the received status, the partially unfolded status, or thefully unfolded status).

For example, when the structure of the electronic device is changed (tobe in the received status, the partially unfolded status, or the fullyunfolded status), the contact angle (“a”) between a rotating part of therotary contact structure 1080 and the contact region 1010 may bevariously changed. The rotary contact structure 1080 may stably maintainthe contact with the contact region 1010 to correspond to variouspressing statuses, such as a first status 1001 in which the contactangle “a” is a right angle, a second status 1002 in which the contactangle “a” is an obtuse angle, or a third status 1003 in which thecontact angle “a” is an acute angle. When an assembly tolerance ispresent between parts, a stable contact between the rotating part of therotary contact structure 1080 and the contact region 1010 may bemaintained.

FIG. 11 illustrates various types of conductive members, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, conductive members (such as conductive bearings,conductive circular structures, or a conductive balls) interposedbetween rotating parts 1110, 1120, and 1130 and central parts 1115,1125, and 1135 of the rotary contact structure may be realized withvarious conductive materials.

For example, the conductive members may be realized with a plurality ofmetal balls 1118 arranged at uniform distances (bearing structures).Although FIG. 11 illustrates that eight metal balls 1118 are arranged atuniform distances, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

For another example, the conductive members may be realized with aplurality of conductive rubbers (or a plurality of conductive sponges)1128 disposed at uniform distances. The conductive rubbers 1128 may moreeasily absorb an impact and may reduce a friction or a sound, ascompared to the plurality of metal balls 1118. Although FIG. 11illustrates that four conductive rubbers 1128 are arranged at uniformdistances, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

For another example, the conductive members may be realized with aplurality of leaf springs 1138 arranged at uniform distances. The leafsprings 1138 may be lighter than the plurality of metal balls 1118, andmay rotate more rapidly than the plurality of metal balls 1118. AlthoughFIG. 11 illustrates that four leaf springs 1138 are arranged at uniformdistances, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to various embodiments, a material (e.g., thermal grease) forsecuring lubricity may be coated on an inner part of the conductivemember.

FIG. 12 illustrates that a conductive ball and a non-conductive ball aremixed and arranged, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, a rotary contact structure 1201 may include arotating part 1210, conductive members 1221 and 1222, a central part1230, and a support part 1240.

According to an embodiment, the conductive members 1221 and 1222 mayinclude a first type ball 1221 realized with a first material (e.g., aceramic) and a second type ball 1222 realized with a second material(e.g., metal). When the first type ball 1221 and the second type ball1222 are alternately arranged, the durability (abrasion resistance) ofthe conductive members 1221 and 1222 may be enhanced.

The first type ball 1221 and the second type ball 1222 may bealternately arranged between the rotating part 1210 and the central part1230. When the first type ball 1221 is interposed between second typeballs 1222, noise caused by the rotation or the movement of the rotatingpart 1210 or the conductive members 1221 and 1222 may be reduced, andthe durability against the abrasion of the conductive members 1221 and1222 may be enhanced.

According to an embodiment, the first type ball 1221 and the second typeball 1222 may be arranged in specific number at less than a specifiedarrangement angle “b”. For example, when the arrangement angle is 30degrees, one first type ball 1221 and one second type ball 1222 may bearranged at less than the arrangement angle “b”. Accordingly, even ifabrasion is caused by the friction between the conductive members 1221and 1222, stable electrical connection may be maintained.

FIG. 13A illustrates a rotary contact structure having a fixed-typesupport structure, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 13B is a view illustrating a shape of a rotary contact structurewhen the rotary contact structure of FIG. 13A is viewed in a direction“P”, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, a rotary contact structure 1380 mayelectrically connect a printed circuit board 1370 with a sliding housing1310. The rotary contact structure 1380 may include a rotating part1381, a conductive member (or a plurality of conductive balls) 1382, acentral part 1383, a first support part 1385, a second support part1386, and a support structure 1388.

The first support part 1385 and the second support part 1386 may beinterposed between the central part 1383 and the support structure 1388,respectively. According to an embodiment, the first support part 1385and the second support part 1386 may be separately formed or may beintegrally formed through the central part 1383. The first support part1385 and the second support part 1386 may fix the central part 1383 tothe support structure 1388.

The rotary contact structure 1380 may be fixed through a separatesupport structure 1388 without being directly fixed to the printedcircuit board 1370. The support structure 1388 may be interposed betweena contact region 1375 of the printed circuit board 1370 and the slidinghousing 1310. The support structure 1388 may support the rotating part1381 such that the rotating part 1381 rotates in a fixed position.

When the sliding housing 1310 linearly moves in a first direction(direction “A”) or a second direction (direction “B”) to correspond tothe change (the received status, the partially unfolded status, or thefully unfolded status) in the structure of the electronic device, therotating part 1381 may maintain the contact status with the slidinghousing 1310 while rotating counterclockwise or clockwise.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device in anetwork environment according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 14, an electronic device 1401 in a network environment1400 may communicate with an electronic device 1402 via a first network1498 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or at leastone of an electronic device 1404 or a server 1408 via a second network1499 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According toan embodiment, the electronic device 1401 may communicate with theelectronic device 1404 via the server 1408. According to an embodiment,the electronic device 1401 may include a processor 1420, memory 1430, aninput module 1450, a sound output module 1455, a display module 1460, anaudio module 1470, a sensor module 1476, an interface 1477, a connectingterminal 1478, a haptic module 1479, a camera module 1480, a powermanagement module 1488, a battery 1489, a communication module 1490, asubscriber identification module (SIM) 1496, or an antenna module 1497.In some embodiments, at least one of the components (e.g., theconnecting terminal 1478) may be omitted from the electronic device1401, or one or more other components may be added in the electronicdevice 1401. In some embodiments, some of the components (e.g., thesensor module 1476, the camera module 1480, or the antenna module 1497)may be implemented as a single component (e.g., the display module1460).

The processor 1420 may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program1440) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 1401 coupled with theprocessor 1420, and may perform various data processing or computation.According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing orcomputation, the processor 1420 may store a command or data receivedfrom another component (e.g., the sensor module 1476 or thecommunication module 1490) in volatile memory 1432, process the commandor the data stored in the volatile memory 1432, and store resulting datain non-volatile memory 1434. According to an embodiment, the processor1420 may include a main processor 1421 (e.g., a central processing unit(CPU) or an application processor (AP)), or an auxiliary processor 1423(e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU),an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or acommunication processor (CP)) that is operable independently from, or inconjunction with, the main processor 1421. For example, when theelectronic device 1401 includes the main processor 1421 and theauxiliary processor 1423, the auxiliary processor 1423 may be adapted toconsume less power than the main processor 1421, or to be specific to aspecified function. The auxiliary processor 1423 may be implemented asseparate from, or as part of the main processor 1421.

The auxiliary processor 1423 may control at least some of functions orstates related to at least one component (e.g., the display module 1460,the sensor module 1476, or the communication module 1490) among thecomponents of the electronic device 1401, instead of the main processor1421 while the main processor 1421 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep)state, or together with the main processor 1421 while the main processor1421 is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). Accordingto an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 1423 (e.g., an image signalprocessor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part ofanother component (e.g., the camera module 1480 or the communicationmodule 1490) functionally related to the auxiliary processor 1423.According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 1423 (e.g., theneural processing unit) may include a hardware structure specified forartificial intelligence model processing. An artificial intelligencemodel may be generated by machine learning. Such learning may beperformed, e.g., by the electronic device 1401 where the artificialintelligence is performed or via a separate server (e.g., the server1408). Learning algorithms may include, but are not limited to, e.g.,supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, orreinforcement learning. The artificial intelligence model may include aplurality of artificial neural network layers. The artificial neuralnetwork may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neuralnetwork (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted boltzmannmachine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrentdeep neural network (BRDNN), deep Q-network or a combination of two ormore thereof but is not limited thereto. The artificial intelligencemodel may, additionally or alternatively, include a software structureother than the hardware structure.

The memory 1430 may store various data used by at least one component(e.g., the processor 1420 or the sensor module 1476) of the electronicdevice 1401. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g.,the program 1440) and input data or output data for a command relatedthererto. The memory 1430 may include the volatile memory 1432 or thenon-volatile memory 1434.

The program 1440 may be stored in the memory 1430 as software, and mayinclude, for example, an operating system (OS) 1442, middleware 1444, oran application 1446.

The input module 1450 may receive a command or data to be used byanother component (e.g., the processor 1420) of the electronic device1401, from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 1401. Theinput module 1450 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, akeyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The sound output module 1455 may output sound signals to the outside ofthe electronic device 1401. The sound output module 1455 may include,for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used forgeneral purposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record. Thereceiver may be used for receiving incoming calls. According to anembodiment, the receiver may be implemented as separate from, or as partof the speaker.

The display module 1460 may visually provide information to the outside(e.g., a user) of the electronic device 1401. The display module 1460may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projectorand control circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display,hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the displaymodule 1460 may include a touch sensor adapted to detect a touch, or apressure sensor adapted to measure the intensity of force incurred bythe touch.

The audio module 1470 may convert a sound into an electrical signal andvice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 1470 may obtainthe sound via the input module 1450, or output the sound via the soundoutput module 1455 or a headphone of an external electronic device(e.g., an electronic device 1402) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelesslycoupled with the electronic device 1401.

The sensor module 1476 may detect an operational state (e.g., power ortemperature) of the electronic device 1401 or an environmental state(e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 1401, andthen generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to thedetected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 1476 mayinclude, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmosphericpressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gripsensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, abiometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or anilluminance sensor.

The interface 1477 may support one or more specified protocols to beused for the electronic device 1401 to be coupled with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 1402) directly (e.g.,wiredly) or wirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface 1477may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI),a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) cardinterface, or an audio interface.

A connecting terminal 1478 may include a connector via which theelectronic device 1401 may be physically connected with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 1402). According to anembodiment, the connecting terminal 1478 may include, for example, aHDMI connector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audioconnector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 1479 may convert an electrical signal into amechanical stimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electricalstimulus which may be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation orkinesthetic sensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic module1479 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or anelectric stimulator.

The camera module 1480 may capture a still image or moving images.According to an embodiment, the camera module 1480 may include one ormore lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 1488 may manage power supplied to theelectronic device 1401. According to one embodiment, the powermanagement module 1488 may be implemented as at least part of, forexample, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 1489 may supply power to at least one component of theelectronic device 1401. According to an embodiment, the battery 1489 mayinclude, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, asecondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 1490 may support establishing a direct (e.g.,wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel betweenthe electronic device 1401 and the external electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 1402, the electronic device 1404, or the server 1408)and performing communication via the established communication channel.The communication module 1490 may include one or more communicationprocessors that are operable independently from the processor 1420(e.g., the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g.,wired) communication or a wireless communication. According to anembodiment, the communication module 1490 may include a wirelesscommunication module 1492 (e.g., a cellular communication module, ashort-range wireless communication module, or a global navigationsatellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communicationmodule 1494 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or apower line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of thesecommunication modules may communicate with the external electronicdevice via the first network 1498 (e.g., a short-range communicationnetwork, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, orinfrared data association (IrDA)) or the second network 1499 (e.g., along-range communication network, such as a legacy cellular network, a5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or acomputer network (e.g., LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These varioustypes of communication modules may be implemented as a single component(e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multi components (e.g.,multi chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module1492 may identify and authenticate the electronic device 1401 in acommunication network, such as the first network 1498 or the secondnetwork 1499, using subscriber information (e.g., international mobilesubscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identificationmodule 1496.

The wireless communication module 1492 may support a 5G network, after a4G network, and next-generation communication technology, e.g., newradio (NR) access technology. The NR access technology may supportenhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications(mMTC), or ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC). Thewireless communication module 1492 may support a high-frequency band(e.g., the millimeter (mm) Wave band) to achieve, e.g., a high datatransmission rate. The wireless communication module 1492 may supportvarious technologies for securing performance on a high-frequency band,such as, e.g., beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output(massive MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analogbeam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module1492 may support various requirements specified in the electronic device1401, an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 1404),or a network system (e.g., the second network 1499). According to anembodiment, the wireless communication module 1492 may support a peakdata rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for implementing eMBB, loss coverage(e.g., 164 dB or less) for implementing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g.,0.5 ms or less for each of downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or a roundtrip of 1 ms or less) for implementing URLLC.

The antenna module 1497 may transmit or receive a signal or power to orfrom the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of theelectronic device 1401. According to an embodiment, the antenna module1497 may include an antenna including a radiating element composed of aconductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate(e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, theantenna module 1497 may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., arrayantennas). In such a case, at least one antenna appropriate for acommunication scheme used in the communication network, such as thefirst network 1498 or the second network 1499, may be selected, forexample, by the communication module 1490 (e.g., the wirelesscommunication module 1492) from the plurality of antennas. The signal orthe power may then be transmitted or received between the communicationmodule 1490 and the external electronic device via the selected at leastone antenna. According to an embodiment, another component (e.g., aradio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiatingelement may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module 1497.

According to various embodiments, the antenna module 1497 may form ammWave antenna module. According to an embodiment, the mmWave antennamodule may include a printed circuit board, a RFIC disposed on a firstsurface (e.g., the bottom surface) of the printed circuit board, oradjacent to the first surface and capable of supporting a designatedhigh-frequency band (e.g., the mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas(e.g., array antennas) disposed on a second surface (e.g., the top or aside surface) of the printed circuit board, or adjacent to the secondsurface and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of thedesignated high-frequency band.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutuallyand communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via aninter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purposeinput and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobileindustry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 1401 and the external electronicdevice 1404 via the server 1408 coupled with the second network 1499.Each of the electronic devices 1402 or 1404 may be a device of a sametype as, or a different type, from the electronic device 1401. Accordingto an embodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at theelectronic device 1401 may be executed at one or more of the externalelectronic devices 1402, 1404, or 1408. For example, if the electronicdevice 1401 should perform a function or a service automatically, or inresponse to a request from a user or another device, the electronicdevice 1401, instead of, or in addition to, executing the function orthe service, may request the one or more external electronic devices toperform at least part of the function or the service. The one or moreexternal electronic devices receiving the request may perform the atleast part of the function or the service requested, or an additionalfunction or an additional service related to the request, and transferan outcome of the performing to the electronic device 1401. Theelectronic device 1401 may provide the outcome, with or without furtherprocessing of the outcome, as at least part of a reply to the request.To that end, a cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edgecomputing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, forexample. The electronic device 1401 may provide ultra low-latencyservices using, e.g., distributed computing or mobile edge computing. Inanother embodiment, the external electronic device 1404 may include aninternet-of-things (IoT) device. The server 1408 may be an intelligentserver using machine learning and/or a neural network. According to anembodiment, the external electronic device 1404 or the server 1408 maybe included in the second network 1499. The electronic device 1401 maybe applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smartcar, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology or IoT-relatedtechnology.

The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one ofvarious types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include,for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), acomputer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medicaldevice, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According toan embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limitedto those described above.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 101 of FIG. 1, the electronic device 1401 of FIG. 14)may include a flexible display, a first housing moving to correspond tochange in a shape of the flexible display, and including a contactregion, a second housing sliding in a direction opposite to a directionof the first housing and mounting the flexible display, at least onerotary contact structure making contact with the contact region, and aprinted circuit board (PCB) electrically connected with the at least onerotary contact structure. The at least one rotary contact structure mayinclude a rotating part maintaining contact with the contact regionwhile rotating in a process of changing a shape of the flexible display,a central part disposed inside the rotating part, a conductive memberinterposed between the rotating part and the central part, and a supportpart to support the central part and to electrically connect the centralpart with the PCB.

According to various embodiments, the rotating part may include acontact surface making contact with the contact region, and the contactsurface is a curved surface.

According to various embodiments, the contact region linearly moves tocorrespond to the change in the shape of the flexible display.

According to various embodiments, the contact region may include a firstend portion and a second end portion, the at least one rotary contactstructure may make contact with the first end portion, when the flexibledisplay is slid into the first housing, and the at least one rotarycontact structure may make contact with the second end portion, when theflexible display is slid out of the first housing.

According to various embodiments, the contact region may include a firstcontact region and a second contact region separated from the firstcontact region and disposed in parallel to the first contact region.

According to various embodiments, the at least one rotary contactstructure may further include an insulating part to divide the rotatingpart into a first contact part and a second contact part, the firstcontact part may make contact with the first contact region, and thesecond contact part may make contact with the second contact region.

According to various embodiments, the at least one rotary contactstructure further may include a first rotary contact structure and asecond rotation contact structure, and the first contact region may makecontact with the first rotary contact structure, and the second contactregion makes contact with the second rotary contact structure.

According to various embodiments, the first contact region and thesecond contact region may have mutually different lengths.

According to various embodiments, the first contact region may transmitor receive a signal for performing a first function, and the secondcontact region may transmit or receive a signal for performing a secondfunction.

According to various embodiments, the support part may be an elasticstructure formed in an axial direction perpendicular to the rotatingpart.

According to various embodiments, the support part may include a shaftpassing through the central part.

According to various embodiments, the conductive member may include aplurality of conductive balls disposed at specified distances.

According to various embodiments, the conductive member may be disposedsuch that a non-conductive ball and a conductive ball are alternatelyarranged

According to various embodiments, the conductive member may be disposedsuch that the non-conductive ball and the conductive ball are disposedin specified number at less than a specified angle.

According to various embodiments, the conductive member may include aplurality of conductive sponges or a plurality of conductive leafsprings.

According to various embodiments, the rotating part may include a guidewhich is formed on an inner surface of the rotating part to move orrotate the conductive members.

According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the firsthousing may function as an antenna for wireless communication, and theat least one rotary contact structure may transmit a wirelesscommunication signal to the PCB.

According to various embodiments, the contact region may have an elasticstructure protruding toward the at least one rotary contact structure.

It should be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure andthe terms used therein are not intended to limit the technologicalfeatures set forth herein to particular embodiments and include variouschanges, equivalents, or replacements for a corresponding embodiment.With regard to the description of the drawings, similar referencenumerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. As usedherein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “atleast one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and“at least one of A, B, or C,” may include any one of, or all possiblecombinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one ofthe phrases. As used herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first”and “second” may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding componentfrom another, and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g.,importance or order). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., afirst element) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or“communicatively”, as “coupled with,” “coupled to,” “connected with,” or“connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), it means thatthe element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g.,wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used in connection with various embodiments of the disclosure, theterm “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, orfirmware, and may interchangeably be used with other terms, for example,“logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or “circuitry”. A module may be a singleintegral component, or a minimum unit or part thereof, adapted toperform one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment,the module may be implemented in a form of an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software(e.g., the program 1440) including one or more instructions that arestored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 1436 or externalmemory 1438) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device1401). For example, a processor (e.g., the processor 1420) of themachine (e.g., the electronic device 1401) may invoke at least one ofthe one or more instructions stored in the storage medium, and executeit, with or without using one or more other components under the controlof the processor. This allows the machine to be operated to perform atleast one function according to the at least one instruction invoked.The one or more instructions may include a code generated by a complieror a code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storagemedium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium.Wherein, the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage mediumis a tangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., anelectromagnetic wave), but this term does not differentiate betweenwhere data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and wherethe data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments ofthe disclosure may be included and provided in a computer programproduct. The computer program product may be traded as a product betweena seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed inthe form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc readonly memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded)online via an application store (e.g., PlayStore™), or between two userdevices (e.g., smart phones) directly. If distributed online, at leastpart of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or atleast temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such asmemory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application store,or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or aprogram) of the above-described components may include a single entityor multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may beseparately disposed in different components. According to variousembodiments, one or more of the above-described components may beomitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively oradditionally, a plurality of components (e.g., modules or programs) maybe integrated into a single component. In such a case, according tovarious embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one ormore functions of each of the plurality of components in the same orsimilar manner as they are performed by a corresponding one of theplurality of components before the integration. According to variousembodiments, operations performed by the module, the program, or anothercomponent may be carried out sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, orheuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in adifferent order or omitted, or one or more other operations may beadded.

According to various embodiments, a rotary contact structure may includea rotating part at least partially including a conductive section, acentral part disposed inside the rotating part, a conductive memberinterposed between the rotating part and the central part, and a supportpart to support the central part and to electrically connect the centralpart with an external PCB.

According to various embodiments, the support part may be formed to haveelastic force in an axial direction perpendicular to the rotating part.

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice may continuously maintain the electrical contact with thespecified contact region, to correspond to the sliding operation of thehousing by using the rotary contact structure.

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice may prevent the contact region from being deformed or broken, byusing the rotary contact structure.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tovarious embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as definedby the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a flexibledisplay; a first housing configured to move to correspond to change in ashape of the flexible display, and including a contact region; a secondhousing configured to slide in a direction opposite to a direction inwhich the first housing moves of the first housing and to mount theflexible display; at least one rotary contact structure making contactwith the contact region; and a printed circuit board (PCB) electricallyconnected with the at least one rotary contact structure, wherein the atleast one rotary contact structure comprises: a rotating part configuredto maintain contact with the contact region while rotating in a processof changing the shape of the flexible display, a circular central partdisposed at a center of an inside of the rotating part, a plurality ofconductive balls interposed between the rotating part and the circularcentral part, and a support part configured to support the circularcentral part and to electrically connect the circular central part withthe PCB, wherein the rotating part includes a first guide for moving orrotating the plurality of conductive balls on an inner surface, andwherein the circular central part includes a second guide for moving orrotating the plurality of conductive balls on an outer surface.
 2. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the rotating part comprises: acontact surface making contact with the contact region, and wherein thecontact surface is a curved surface.
 3. The electronic device of claim1, wherein the contact region linearly moves to correspond to the changein the shape of the flexible display.
 4. The electronic device of claim1, wherein the contact region comprises: a first end portion and asecond end portion, wherein the at least one rotary contact structuremakes contact with the first end portion, when the flexible display isslid into the first housing, and wherein the at least one rotary contactstructure makes contact with the second end portion, when the flexibledisplay is slid out of the first housing.
 5. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the contact region comprises: a first contact regionand a second contact region which is separated from the first contactregion and disposed in parallel to the first contact region.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 5, wherein the at least one rotary contactstructure further comprises: an insulating part configured to divide therotating part into a first contact part and a second contact part,wherein the first contact part makes contact with the first contactregion, and wherein the second contact part makes contact with thesecond contact region.
 7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein thefirst contact part forms a feeding path that allows the first housing toact as an antenna, and wherein the second contact part forms a groundpath that allows the first housing to operate as the antenna.
 8. Theelectronic device of claim 5, wherein the at least one rotary contactstructure further comprises a first rotary contact structure and asecond rotary contact structure, wherein the first contact region makescontact with the first rotary contact structure, and wherein the secondcontact region makes contact with the second rotary contact structure.9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the first rotary contactstructure forms a feeding path that allows the first housing to act asan antenna, and wherein the second rotary contact structure forms aground path that allows the first housing to operate as the antenna. 10.The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first contact region andthe second contact region have mutually different lengths.
 11. Theelectronic device of claim 5, wherein the first contact region isconfigured to transmit or receive a signal for performing a firstfunction, and wherein the second contact region is configured totransmit or receive a signal for performing a second function.
 12. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the support part is an elasticstructure formed in an axial direction perpendicular to the rotatingpart.
 13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the support partcomprises a shaft passing through the circular central part.
 14. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive ballsare disposed at specified distances.
 15. The electronic device of claim1, further comprising: at least one non-conductive ball disposed betweenthe plurality of conductive balls.
 16. The electronic device of claim15, wherein the plurality of conductive balls and the at least onenon-conductive ball are placed in a specified ratio within a specifiedangular interval.
 17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein theplurality of conductive balls comprise a plurality of conductive spongesor a plurality of conductive leaf springs.
 18. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one rotary contact structure transmits awireless communication signal to the printed circuit board such that thefirst housing operates as an antenna.
 19. The electronic device of claim18, wherein the at least one rotary contact structure forms a feedingpath that allows the first housing to act as the antenna.
 20. Theelectronic device of claim 18, wherein the at least one rotary contactstructure forms a ground path that allows the first housing to operateas the antenna.